Trapped
by Dx.XMusicIsMyLifeX.xD
Summary: "You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon." Those words echoed through his head over and over. He was heartbroken, exhausted... Alone. He had to find her. Takes place after 4'13 (Alone). Possible smut later on, but T for now! First fanfic, please review!
1. Chapter 1

_"You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon."_

The words echoed through his mind over and over. He was heartbroken, exhausted… Alone. He had to find her. She had become the one good thing in his twisted world. She _changed _him. He no longer felt crazy, or worthless. She made him so hopeful that the future wasn't doomed.

Sure, it was an apocalyptic world full of dead flesh-eaters, and everybody they had once known was more than likely dead, but he was so happy to have gotten out of that situation alive with _her._ It hadn't been easy at first, he was terrified of another life being lost on his hands. She was weak and useless, or so he had thought. She proved to be strong, caring… Mature. So much more mature than he had realized. She wasn't a child anymore. The night they had burned down the moonshine cabin he saw something wash over her, that's when he realized it. Something had changed. Maybe it was the relief from letting go of the past? Or maybe she was simply satisfied knowing that's what she had helped him with. Regardless, the look on her face that night revealed so much to him. He knew he had to protect her from whatever the world threw at them. She was his hope, his strength. Hell, she had become his entire universe in the matter of a few days.

"Damn girl…" Daryl sighed to himself.

He had failed. His mission to keep her as far from harm as possible had been shred to shit. He let his guard down for ten seconds. Ten mere seconds was all it took... She was gone. The thought devastated him.

Why? Why did one girl tear him apart so much?

He knew the answer to this question; he was just terrified of it. It was rare that anybody made their way into Daryl Dixon's heart. There were so many walls to beat your way through, but it was as if she didn't even try. Those bright blue, wide eyes of hers…

The same eyes he'd seen filled with horror two days ago. Daryl sighed once more.

The thought of her forced him up that morning; it was rare Daryl slept anyway. He couldn't sit around while she was out there _somewhere_ with God only knows who. He would find her; he had to.

* * *

Beth woke up to the smell of rotting flesh. She had been knocked out for… How long? Hours? Days? She remembered running just as Daryl told her to, although it tore her apart to leave him after the moment they had shared. She was bounding for the road when arms wrapped around her from behind. They were warm, she knew they weren't any walker's, but they didn't feel right. She was picked up off the ground and being carried away. Kicking and screaming, gathering the walkers attention around her, she heard a terrorizing laugh – maybe a few different ones, she couldn't quite remember - and everything went black.

Daryl. Where was he now? Was he okay? Where was _she_ right now? So many questions flitted through her mind. She kicked herself mentally. She had just tried to explain to Daryl that there were still good people out there, and then this happens. Why her? Why _then_? Things were finally looking up. Daryl was finally opening up. She had hoped for so long to get through to him, and just as she had, it was all ripped away from her. Er, maybe she was ripped away from it, to put it in better terms.

Looking around with foggy eyes, she found herself in a basement filled with dead bodies. Some walkers with knives still stuck in their heads lay in a heap towards the left corner of the room, and a couple tables had bodies lying on them, dressed up with a full face of make-up to try and take away from the still obvious contusions on their head. Most of them looked like they had been fine before their untimely death; no rotting skin or bite marks on their body. The realization that somebody killed them hit her and panic consumed her entire being. Desperately looking for some sort of way out, she continued to take in her surroundings. The window behind her was carelessly boarded up, small pieces of smashed glass strewn across the floor, although it was far too small to fit through anyway. While looking down she saw the shackles that bear around her ankle and connected to the metal pipes protruding in and out of the walls around her. She also noticed what looked like a toolbox underneath the staircase. Whatever idiot had the nerve to take her must not do it very often making such a simple mistake like that. She would find a way out of these chains and find something in that box to use and break her way out of here. The thought of hurting a living being destroyed her inside, but what kind of monster would do this to people? After fiddling with the shackles for countless minutes to no reward, she gathered her courage.

"Hello?" Beth's voice echoed through the room. No reply. "Hello?" She yelled a bit louder.

She could hear the thud of heavy footsteps above her, getting closer and closer with every step. Her heart beat rapidly. She had never been so alone and scared.

_What would Daryl do..? _

She almost scoffed when she asked herself that. What was she thinking, she was nothing like him! He would have been out of there by now. He wouldn't have even given somebody the chance to take him in the first place.

_Don't act afraid. Hide your fears. Keep your composure._

She repeated the words to herself until the man appeared from the door of the stairs. He looked to be in his early thirties. He was muscular, with short black hair, and a pained, lonely expression on his face. Beth hated to see a soul hurt, and this man made it painstakingly obvious he was. It was the world nowadays though; people were constantly losing others and being reminded of the luxuries they could no longer have, of course he looked hurt. When he stepped further into the light, she saw the bright green color of his eyes, the square jaw.. If she hadn't thought this man was a lunatic, she would have considered him handsome.

"Hello." He simply said. Nothing else. No explanation of why he took her or where they were. Just 'hello.'

"Let me go." Beth commanded in a shaky voice. It was obvious she was afraid. Not only could you hear it in her voice, she was physically shaking out of fear.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." His voice was thick, filling the room, and it was so smooth. He continued, " I couldn't bear to see something so beautiful go to waste out in this godforsaken world. You need to stay here, it's safe." His last sentence came across so fake. She knew it wasn't safe, she was chained to a wall. Nothing about this place said 'safe.'

"I have a family I need to find." She said as a few tears began rolling down her face. She pleaded with him, hoping maybe he would show her some pity and release her.

"I'm sure they're dead." The man stated bluntly. "There's nobody in this world alive. And even if they are, they'll die soon. Everybody does. That's why I can't let you die with them." This man was screwed up in the head. Beth knew that for sure.

"Please, sir. I jus-" Beth was cut off in the middle of her plea for freedom.

"Stop that. I'd rather kill you myself than release you to become one of those… _things."_ He began walking over to the tables of the dolled up bodies. Looking at them adoringly, gently touching their skin and smiling, he said, "At least then you'd stay beautiful… You'd never have to worry about going through that." He sighed and looked up from what she guessed he would consider 'art work.' "What's your name?"

Beth suddenly became that much more nervous. She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to speak to him at all. She just wanted to get the hell out of wherever she was being held.

He could tell she was scared. "My name's Ben. I'm not going to hurt you unless you make me, so please don't make me. I get awfully lonely around here, I'd hate to have to get rid of you so soon."

"I'm.. Beth." She hesitated. She was going to have to play nice with Ben if she ever wanted even a chance to taste freedom again. At only nineteen, she wasn't ready to die; there was so much she hadn't yet experienced. She cursed herself for being so young.

"Ahh. Well, Beth," Ben said as he stepped closer to her, "we'll be getting to know each other these next few days. And I have a feeling we'll be _very_ close." As he continued to walk towards her, she found that he was a good six inches taller than her. He peered down her shirt and reached a hand out to her waist, a lustful look on his face. Noticing what he was doing, Beth backed away to the corner of the room, face flushing and horror washing through her once again, only ten times worse.

Laughing the same way Beth remembered hearing before everything went black, Ben turned away and went back upstairs. Beth heard him say "soon" under his breath.

She knew what that look was. She knew what he was thinking. She would rather be dead than be played with like a toy; she would rather be a walker than let somebody put their hands on her like that. There was one man she had ever hoped to be with that way, and she was praying that man was on his way to save her once again. She sat in the corner and hugged her knees to her chest. Sobs racked through her body and thoughts of Daryl consumed her mind. She wanted him to be okay, to be looking for her. Her hope was becoming weary, knowing there wouldn't be long before that bastard upstairs did something to her. He was coming. He'd find a way to her. Dear God, she hoped he'd find her.


	2. Chapter 2

A loud crash and scream awoke Beth. She hadn't remembered falling asleep, but peering out the cracks of the boarded window, she saw it was still dark out. Whether that meant it was early in the morning or still late at night, she was unsure. A few angry words were muttered from Ben, she couldn't quite make them out, but the scream was definitely that of a woman. Maybe she wasn't alone here after all. Maybe she'd meet this other girl and form some sort of alliance to get the fuck out of this place. If her mind wasn't reeling at the time, she would have immediately started trying to figure out a plan for the both of them. That scream reminded her of her last day at the prison, and suddenly all the memories came back. Maggie, Julie, Glen, Carl, Daryl. Daryl… Where could he be?

Of course to her dismay, that was too good to be true. Ben walked down the stairs with a limp body and laid it on one of his tables. He had sweat dripping down the bridge of his nose; this woman had definitely worked up a fight before losing her life. Tears began to well up in Beth's eyes. She didn't want that for herself. She knew she'd have to do whatever this petrifying man wanted if she wanted to stay alive. She just couldn't end up like the other bodies lying around.

Beth watched as Ben began to work, smiling at her over his shoulder every once in a while. He was cleaning the blood off the woman's face, covering it in powder to bring the ivory color back to her lifeless flesh. He had a twisted sense of.. Well, everything. He was a very twisted person. That wasn't hard to see. In an attempt to suck up to her captor, she began complimenting the little things he'd do.

"Her cheeks look so naturally rosey. They're so bright she looks alive. She also looks happy." Beth slowly said, unable to find more words.

"Thank you," he murmured back, absorbed in his task. When he finished, he acted as though he'd never done a thing and sat near Beth, who was still shackled to the pipes.

"So Ben, how long have you been doin' such… beautiful work?" she picked her words carefully, afraid to alarm him.

"Feels like long, long before the world broke apart, but when I think about it I guess it's only been about five years" He let out a long breath after he spoke. Beth wasn't sure if this was from the exhaustion of fighting the poor girl or from thinking of his past. He continued on. "It's always been intriguing to me – death, that is. And working in a funeral home gave me a chance to be closer to it, to observe it more. " His eyes gleamed when he talked about it. Beth shuttered at the sight of him getting such sick pleasure in such an awful thing.

"It's always nice to find somethin' ya' really enjoy. Ya' know, as a career. Never go into work despising the day ahead of ya'. She spoke, what she wanted to seem, nonchalant. She tried to act as though she were making simple conversation with a friend. It was so damn hard though with all those bodies lying around, knowing he had done that to every one of them. Suddenly the gut-wrenching odor of death lingered in her nose. "Kinda' stinks though. How do ya' deal with it?"

"After five years, there's nothing about death that bothers me anymore. I set up my own father's funeral, as well as my two brothers… I've had harder days than today."

Well… She didn't know how to respond to that. Was he trying to bring her closer to him? What was wrong with this guy? Did he honestly think she wanted to have a heart-to-heart with him? She saw this as a chance though, said the first thing that popped into her mind.

"I just lost ma' daddy a few days ago. It was tha' worst thing I've had to deal with. He was murdered right in front of me." The words stung sharply as they came out, for it was the truth. She didn't have anything to lose anymore, everyone and everything she loved was gone. She saw no reason to be keep this from him. Maybe it'd even help her out. "But like ya' said, I'd rather see him dead than become a walker. I couldn't'a ended him myself if I'd seen him that way. Ya' know? It'a been too much. I'd'a killed myself too…" Her Georgia twang was becoming increasingly thicker the less she thought about her words. A tear rolled down her cheek. She sorely missed her daddy and her sister. She honestly missed everyone.

She could see Ben was becoming uncomfortable, but she couldn't care much about it then. She was too busy thinking of her past few days, of how shitty her life had really become.

"I'll take you upstairs, get you away from this mess down here and get you something to eat. But if you try to run Beth, you know what I'm going to do." He said the last words as he glanced at the bodies lying on tabled. The hard lump that had swollen in her throat began to go down a little when she realized how much she had accomplished with just so little talk. She agreed with a small nod, seeing as how she was still crying and didn't trust herself to talk. Ben pulled a key out of his shirt pocket and un-cuffed her ankle. As she was walking up the stairs, with Ben closely behind, she was reminded of her sore ankle. Although not nearly as bad as it had been after the stupid trap she had caught it in, it still somewhat hurt. It was bearable though, she thought, if she had to she could run on it. She'd just have to be a little extra careful with her steps.

* * *

_Three whole days._ Three days searching, and still no car around for miles. That certainly didn't mean he was giving up. Daryl was never a quitter. That had been the one constant thing throughout his whole life. He never, ever gave up. He'd seen just how easy his father let shit go, not letting it phase him simply because he didn't care. He didn't care about anything. Daryl was nothing like that bastard. He went to great depths to be totally different, although the apple can never fall too far from the tree.

"_You gotta stay who you ARE, not who you WERE."_

Her voice rang in his head once again. Her drunken words were so wise. Even though she wasn't around, she was still reminding him of the better person he had become. Those words ringing in his ears, he kept pushing forward. He knew she could be so far gone at this point, in more than one way, but he refused to believe that.

Continuing through the thick woods, Daryl found himself running into a small group of Walkers. He had no issue taking the first three walkers out; an arrow to the brain, a hard hit against the head with his crossbow. They were slow, and stupid. The last walker, however, looked as if it was smiling at him. It was an eerie smile, o many demons hiding behind it. It was taunting him, throwing it in his face that he fucked up. He damn well knew he messed up! He bashed the walkers head in with the edge of his crossbow, and proceeded to hit it over and over again, until it was nothing but mangled parts everywhere.

Somewhere along the midst of his anger, he had begun crying without realizing it. He was beating himself up over Beth being taken, and that led him to think about everyone he had let down at the prison. He just wanted Beth here with him. She'd helped him cope through the hardest times. He knew he had taken her for granted all along. He wanted to tell her that at the funeral home, but those damn walkers attacked. He had so much he wanted to tell her, but Daryl Dixon was a man with an unbreakable mask – almost unbreakable mask. She had cracked it. It was hard to be tough all the time, to be the one everyone relied on to be strong. The time they had spent alone, he didn't have to keep up that façade. She _wanted_ to get inside of him. She wanted to pick apart his details and show him that it was nothing to be ashamed of. Dear god, he tried so hard to keep her pushed away. The damn girl wouldn't give up. It was like when she finally got in, she was clueless to see it. Or maybe she just didn't know how to react to it.

"_What changed your mind?" Beth asked, curiosity at its peak in her voice._

"_Mhmm-mm…" He replied, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't know how to say it. He didn't even know what he wanted to say. He'd never felt this way about anyone. Never truly cared. It was fighting its way out of him, but Daryl refused to let it out. _

"_Don't 'mhmm-mm, what changed your mind?" She repeated again. She stared intently at him, waiting for a response._

_In that moment, so many memories flashed through his head; the first time she hugged him at the prison, running away from it with her, the way she hugged him when tears were pouring down his face, the deep conversation they had that night right before burning down that cabin, teaching her to track, piggy backing her when her ankle had first gotten hurt, lacing his fingers through hers at the grave, listening to her sing, carrying her into that kitchen only moments before this conversation._

_So much had changed his mind, and so little at the same time. Her. She changed his mind._

_He looked her straight in the eyes with so much in that gaze, and she saw every bit of it. Daryl had never seen anybody the way he'd seen her. _

"_Oh." She was so… Shocked. So pleasantly surprised. _

His emotions were getting the best of him yet again. He couldn't let that happen, not while she was still gone. He got up, brushed himself off, and kept walking. He couldn't give up. He let the memories flash through his mind for some time. He didn't know how long he had been walking, or exactly which direction he walked in, but it didn't matter. He almost missed it in his distracted treading along - a tan colored house with curtains moving inside the window. Although the movement in the window was what originally snapped him back to reality, it was the car parked beside the house that really got his attention. He found what he was looking for.


	3. Chapter 3

Ben showed Beth to a small leather loveseat in his living room and went straight to the next room, which by the sounds of glasses clanking together, she guessed was the kitchen. She was still sobbing quite a bit, her body racking with every gasp for air. Ben had seemed in a hurry to get out of that room, and goodness had he looked uncomfortable. It was a cozy little house she was trapped in, though. The living room was well put together; matching loveseat and couch, the wood floors and wood furniture were the same type, plenty of scented candles lingering around to light up the light blue walls. There were small porcelain angels sitting on the fireplace mantel and on shelves next to fancy looking wire crosses. The house looked surprisingly godly and feminine. Beth began instinctively looking for things to use as weapons. There was an iron rod next to the fireplace that could definitely do some damage, but she wanted something a little easier to maneuver.

_There._ Right above the mantel a cross was hanging. The ends were sharpened, and it wasn't too much bigger than her hand. She would definitely be going for that first if things went sour. She didn't have a plan – yet. She'd think of something. Staying in this creepy place with this creepy man wasn't an option.

"There's not many options. I hope you like tea." Ben came back in the room, sat a glass down for himself on the coffee table, and handed Beth one. He then opened the cabinet underneath a side table near the couch and tucked a small handgun in his pants. "Wouldn't want you to get ahold of this, I might need it." He chuckled. He must've been confident the small woman couldn't hurt him. "Are you hungry? I've got a bit of deer meat. I can't have you starving, that would be an awful way to go."

Oh, and being shot wouldn't? This man was unbelievable.

Beth managed to choke out a yes, trying hard to calm down enough to think straight. Ben walked out of the room, once again hurriedly. He really wasn't fond of tears.

As she picked up her drink wearily, she noticed an odd smell to it. She had grown up in Georgia, of course she liked tea. She drank it with just about every meal before the turn. Something about this drink wasn't right. She compared it with Ben's.

A few bubbles fizzed to the top of her drink then settled. He had put something inside of it for sure. Quickly, she switched her glass with his. She was praying he didn't notice. Although this sad excuse for a human being well deserved death, she didn't want to be the one to give it to him.

Ben walked back in and sat next to Beth, being sure to get close and very uncomfortable for her. He sat down a plate of cooked meat and began to eat a bit. She watched as he gulped down his drink, completely unaware of what she had done. She was going to guess he was trying to give her some kind of sedative to keep her from escaping while upstairs, then keep her knocked out again while he did god only knows what to her. Beth slowly drank hers.

"So I can't help but wonder what you were doing with a ridiculous piece of redneck garbage?" Ben asked, obviously trying to get a rise out of Beth.

She smiled a bit thinking of Daryl, but it quickly turned to a frown as she wondered if he was okay. "He was… Keepin' me safe. We just ran into a bit of trouble. He's a good man."

He laughed a bit. "Obviously he didn't do a very good job at that, did he?"

"I know he was doin' his best." Beth snapped back. She didn't like to hear Daryl insulted. It wasn't his fault this happened to her. It was hers, she had made the mistake of not paying closer attention to her surroundings.

"It would definitely be of your best of interest _not _to get an attitude with me, silly _girl." _

Oh, how Beth hated that word. _Girl_. It mocked her. She wasn't a girl, she was a woman. After all she had been put through, and how strong she was through the whole thing, she thought she deserved the title of woman. She had definitely grown up in a hurry. Eighteen was too old to be considered a girl in these kinds of times. She was lucky to have survived to see herself eighteen. She _deserved_ to be called a woman.

It set her off and she made an impulsive decision. She jumped from her seat and went for the cross on the wall. As she tried to pry it off in a hurry, she realized just how well it was nailed into the wall. Fear began to pour into her. She tried to go for the iron rod, but Ben was up in a flash. He grabbed her by her arms and shoved her to the ground. Her head hit and her vision blurred. Trying hard to maintain consciousness, she looked up and saw Ben swaying over her. She thought it was just the fact that she was about to pass out at first, but then he tumbled to the floor in a state of unconsciousness himself.

The voice in her head was screaming at her,

"_Shit. Get up Beth. Now's your chance. Get. Up!"_

To her astonishment, she did. Everything was still a bit blurry, but it was getting better. She took the gun from Ben's motionless body and walked right out his front door. She didn't know where she was at and didn't know where she was going, she just knew she would run as far and as fast as she could. What she hadn't counted on was running right into someone. Once again, she felt arms wrapped around her. Panic shot through her and she struggled for the gun.

"_Of course this would happen. I got out of there so easy, of course something's got to go terribly wrong when I'm about to be free again."_

That was before she saw who her capture was this time. Instead of anger, pain, or longing enveloping her this time, it was happiness and disbelief.

* * *

He watched her run out of the house he had been watching for only a few minutes. She must not have realized it, but she ran straight to him. She hit him hard, making a small _oof_ come out as the breath was almost knocked completely out of him. As soon as her body was against his, he latched on. His muscular arms were holding onto her for dear life as he looked down at her in incredulity. He felt her tense up for a moment then felt her body shake as he heard her begin to weep. She held him back, just as tightly, but only for a few moments.

"Daryl, I gotta' get outta' here." She said, pulling away from his embrace. She was hysterical. It was obvious she had just been put through a lot.

"Let's go." He said as he took her hand and began pulling her along. As much as he wanted to go inside that house and make sure any and every bastard that had taken her was dead, he wanted to get her away. He wanted to get her somewhere she could relax and feel safe again.


	4. Chapter 4

He was pushing her ahead; forcing her to push her pale, sweat drenched, legs as fast as they would go. Her wheezes were reminders of how fast and hard they had been running. The odd thing was, she didn't seem to mind. She _welcomed _the burn. It let her know she was alive. She survived a kidnapping from a lunatic and nothing felt better than life in the moment, including all the ups and downs that came with it – like the walkers trailing behind them. She was determined to continue surviving and enjoying the feeling of life. Her eyes were open and searching for any possible way to get out of their situation. From her peripheral vision, she noticed something scrawled across a white building in a brassy blood-looking color that made her stop dead in her tracks.

'_Glenn, go to Terminus. –Maggie'_

Beth was absolutely shocked. The giddy that came when she realized her sister was still alive quickly subdued when she realized she wasn't looking for Beth. What about her? She was _blood._ Her own sister wasn't even thinking about her, damn it! Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she was torn away from her thoughts before they had the chance to spill over her cheeks. Daryl was pulling her by her arm, shooting a stern look that said '_we have to keep going.'_ Yes, Beth had momentarily forgotten that there was a horde of the living dead right behind them. Emotions could really kill you in times like right now… Literally.

So they continued running down the railroad tracks, looking for some sort of safety, or any sign of life. Soon they came across an abandoned building that looked quite promising. Hurriedly rushing in and tightly reinforcing the door shut behind them, they explored a bit, intending to clear the place out. There was no need; any bodies they found were completely lifeless with a gash in the head indicating the brain had been punctured. Obviously somebody had already been here and done the dirty work for them. Walking up the stairs it become clear a window had been pushed out. Looking down, countless decaying bodies were strewn across the parking lot below. Whoever was here made it through alive.

Beth leaned against the wall and slowly shrank down to the hard floor, finally letting the events of today register in her head and letting the tears slip out. She had escaped an uncertain death by herself and learned her sister was still alive. Maggie… She didn't even care. She must have thought Beth was a helpless little girl that had already died. No, that wasn't the case at all. Daryl knew that. Daryl had seen her maturity this last week, he knew she wasn't some little girl. He knew she refused to be '_just another dead girl.'_

Speaking of, the rugged man had at some point sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders in what she guessed was an attempt to comfort her, some sort of half-assed hug. Maybe not quite half-assed, he was obviously making an effort, he just wasn't sure how. They hadn't said a word to each other since they began running; silence was key when you were fending for your life. They were safe for the moment though. The only threat the tense air lingering between them.

* * *

_Fuck._

Daryl absolutely _hated_ tears. Anytime he'd cry his old man would beat him, tell him he was weak, to just suck it up. Obviously he couldn't do such a thing in this situation. That would be heartless, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause Beth more pain. So instead of yelling and getting angry like he had back at the golf club, he simply sat down next to her and tried to give her a hug. Maybe the gesture would be good enough.

Soon enough she threw herself onto him completely; wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shoulder, letting her hot tears spill over even more violently.

"Daryl… I thought you were dead." Beth choked out between sobs. "I thought you were dead and I thought I was gonna die and I thought Maggie was dead and now I jus-"

"Hey," Daryl said, gently putting his hands on both sides of her face, forcing her to look up at him and stop her flood of words, "yer' alright now. I ain't lettin' you outta my sight, and, well, ya' know, vice versa. I got yer' back, you got mine." He moved his thumbs to wipe away a few tears. "Now quit that," He spoke softly, slowly, and much more gently than you'd expect from Daryl Dixon, "S'okay now. Ya' hear me? It's okay, Beth."

* * *

She looked into his eyes, his hands still resting on her cheeks, relishing the moment for all it was worth. He was being incredibly sweet and selfless, jumping out of his comfort zone to make her feel better, and she was well aware of it. Slowly, Beth placed a hand over his and lightly squeezed, the entire time watching for any type of reaction out of him. A flicker of something flashed in his eyes, something she recognized. It was the same look he gave her right before the walker attack back at the mortuary, when he was trying to tell her…

Beth averted her gaze and absent-mindedly bit her lip while remembering their previous unfinished conversation. She wanted so badly to know what it had meant. It was clear that _she _was what changed his mind about the world they lived in now, but that meant that she meant more to him on a deeper level… Right? Beth was thinking way too hard, her head was beginning to hurt.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted, and she suddenly had a lot more to over-analyze, the way she did with everything.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to update guys! Finals are next week, school has just been kicking my ass. Don't dick around, it just gives you a whole lot more to make up for and a lot less time to do it. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed it, I'll definitely be trying to write more often after this next week. **


	5. Chapter 5

Beth had obviously spaced-out, and the way she bit her lip was _killing_ him. The sweet thoughts that filled Daryl's head just a moment ago were quickly replaced with unchaste ones. He ached as he watched her, his erection slowly becoming more evident. Unable to take his eyes off of her lips, he began leaning into her, aiming to close the small gap left between them. A loud crash down stairs intervened just before their lips touched, causing them both to snap out of their musing.

Daryl quickly rose to his feet, pulling Beth up with one arm and grabbing his crossbow with the other. He directed her to the wall right around the corner of the staircase and placed her own unsheathed knife in her hand. Whoever thought of coming up wouldn't see them until it was too late.

Cautious footsteps worked their way up the stairs. _One… Two.. Three… _Daryl thought to himself, silently counting the amount of people coming. As soon as the first pair was at the top of the stairs, he lunged, grabbing the first individual and forcing them in front of him using them as a shield. He glanced Beth's way, checking to see if she was still okay. She was simply standing there, looking absolutely astounded at their thought to be assailants. Standing before him on the stairs were Michonne and Carl, and right in front of him as his shield was Rick. He dropped his crossbow, spun Rick around, and was quickly pulled into a hug..

"Sorry to scare ya'. We didn't think anybody was here, let alone you two. Good to see ya' again, nice and safe." Rick spoke as he released Daryl.

-0-

The prior events had been forgotten as the small group caught up, telling their stories of what happened after the downfall of the prison and eating a bit of squirrel Carl had managed to catch the day before. Daryl hadn't yet heard what happened to Beth, but one she explained it to their entire group, he felt proud. Beth was capable of fending for herself if she needed to, yet Daryl still refused to make her have to again.

* * *

Beth excused herself to 'use the little girls room' outside. Choosing a tree close by, she squat next to it and leaned against it for support. After doing her business she got up, pulled her pants up and began to button them when she heard a twig snapping. Looking around, she saw nothing, so she quickly walked around the tree still focused on buttoning her pants. She ran into a dark silhouette and only managed to let out a gasp before a hand clasped over her mouth.

"Don't scream, just me." Daryl said, releasing his grip on her. Her face burned hot when she thought about how long he could've been out there, listening to her. _How embarrassing, _Beth thought.

"You scared the Hell outta me, Daryl! A minute earlier and I prolly' would'a peed all over myself!" She said, a bit angry and relieved at the same time. They started walking back. "Why are you even out here?"

"Didn't mean ta' scare ya'. Told ya' you ain't gettin' outta' my sight." He whispered, trying to get her to lower her voice a bit.

She stopped at a different tree and used it for support to get a rock out of her boot. Contemplating what he said for a moment, she became furious.

"You think I'm some little kid, Daryl? I don't need a damn babysitter!" Her voice continued to crescendo louder. "I'm not a litt-" Then Beth was once again cut off by Daryl's hand around her mouth. She hadn't quite had her balance, so she stumbled back against the tree, dropping her boot. She fumed silently, unable to protest.

"Hush, damnit. Yer' gon' get all the livin' dead out here." He sighed as he dropped his hand from her mouth. "I know you ain't a little girl or nothin' like that. I just... I dunno."

"You just what?" She angrily spat, making sure to emphasize the 'what'. He was impossible to figure out, it was so irritating.

"I just don't wanna lose ya' again, alright?" Daryl yelled defeated, slamming both hands against the tree around Beth. He practically had her pinned between himself and the tree.

She immediately regret her outburst. She forgot he blamed himself for the incident. Before making any more hasty decisions, she scanned his face for the look again. Low and behold, it was there, and more apparent than ever. Taking the risk, she got on her tiptoes and lightly brushed his lips with hers.

"I'm not goin' anywhere." Beth stated matter-of-factly after getting flat on her feet again. Daryl was silent for a minute, causing Beth to think she made a mistake.

As she was about to duck under Daryl's arm and retreat back to the building, he crushed her lips with his own. It wasn't the same as the simple kiss they had just a moment ago, this one was deep and passionate. Daryl pushed his body against hers, feeling as though he couldn't get close enough to her.

Beth welcomed the thrill. Ever since she had been locked away in front of so much death, she loved everything that made her feel alive. She wanted more – needed more – of him. Nervously at first, Beth probed Daryl's lips with her tongue. Without hesitation he parted his lips and their tongues collided. She could feel his hard on through his jeans. Feeling reckless and excited, she ground her hips against him, causing a hitch in his breath. His hands moved down her figure, feeling his way over her breasts, down to her ass, then back up to lift both of her arms. Using one hand, he pinned her hands above her head. The other continued to roam her body. He began trailing short kisses down her jaw line, stopping to nibble on her ear.

That sent a surge down her body. A small, almost inaudible moan escaped her lips, and that was all the encouragement he needed to place his hand up her shirt. She rarely ever wore a bra, always allowing Daryl to put his mind to work imagining what her perky breasts would look like underneath any shirt. He lightly flicked and twisted at her left nipple, then her right. Getting the response he desired, yet still wanting more, he lifted her shirt over her upraised hands and dropped it to the grass. His hands quickly found her ass again and he lifted her, placed himself between her legs, and pinned her to the tree once again. His mouth found her perky breast and he teased one nipple with his tongue while massaging the other with his free hand. Beth ran her fingers through his hair, threw her head back and moaned. She had never felt such bliss. She could feel his erection, she was practically sitting on it. It was so exhilarating to do something so out of the blue, especially something she had been fantasizing about for a while. She gasped in surprise when his thumb pressed hard against her clit through her pants.

* * *

He grunted in satisfaction when he noticed she was dripping through her jeans. He lowered her and reached for her pants button. She was already at it before he got the chance, unzipping and tugging downwards at the tight material. That's when he realized just how far they had gotten in only a matter of minutes. He stopped kissing her and grabbed her hand to stop her from taking her jeans off.

"What's wrong?" She asked, worried she had done something wrong to upset him.

"We can't be doin' this. Rick or Michonee or even Carl could come out here an see. Don't want them gettin' uncomfortable or anythin'. Rick'd probably flip shit." Daryl said honestly.

Instead of agreeing with him and going back inside with the others, Beth did something very unlike her. She boldly grabbed his erect penis through his pants, nibbled at his neck and seductively whispered, "I don't care, let 'em see."

* * *

**SO! As you see, Beth's becoming a bit of a thrill seeker since her incident. Let me know if you feel like Daryl was out of character. Obviously Beth's character is progressing differently, but I really feel like I could see her changing as so in the show after traumatic events. Maybe that's just me, who knows. I told you I might get a little smutty, well here's the beginning if it, folks. Hope you enjoyed it, leave a review for me! **


	6. Chapter 6

"Whoa there." He said, grabbing her hands and placing them to her side. _What in the Hell had gotten into her? _Daryl thought, absolutely stunned. She was full of surprises lately.

"Why are you fightin' this Daryl? Obviously you want it too." Beth stated, fearlessly wrapping her arms around his neck and tangling her finger through his hair.

His groin was aching with need, and she was _so close. _She was right, he definitely did want it. She continued biting his neck, sucking and swirling with her tongue, creating a small hickey. Daryl groaned when her hand glided over his member again and shoved her hard against the tree by her shoulder.

"Where the fuck is this coming from, woman? This ain't like ya." Daryl asked, sincerely concerned with what could've possibly been going on in her mind.

She was a little hurt. She threw herself at him full force, and he was rejecting her? "If you're not interested," Beth said, grabbing her shirt and turning to walk away, "Then don't act like ya are."

Daryl grabbed her wrist to keep her from walking away. "Yer not goin' anywhere till you tell me what the hell is runnin' through that head of yours."

"I could'a died, Daryl!" Beth exploded and a lump formed in her throat. She swallowed hard, exhaled deeply, and tried to calm down a little. "I could have died," She stated again bluntly, "and there's so much I still wanna do, and tomorrow is never a promise. I remember when I thought I wanted… to leave." She tried to find less harsh words. It was hard to speak about those times. "After that happened I wanted to live. Then this last mess happened and I realized that I was livin'… I just didn't feel _alive._"

Daryl listened intently, taking in every word she said and processing it. He hadn't realized the toll all these recent events had taken on her. She was so strong, so grown up.

Beth spoke softly. "And this, bein' here with you… Well, it does the job. Not to mention, a lot easier than comin' face to face with some nasty smellin' walkers." She laughed a little, trying to ease the tension.

With that, he pulled her close using the wrist he was still holding and held her tightly for a few moments, just enjoying her presence and praising whoever allowed her to stay alive long enough to have this moment. "I promise that ya don't have ta worry 'bout that. I'm makin' sure of it." He lifted the hand she held her shirt in. "Now put yer clothes back on and let's get back in. Ya gotta be freezin'."

She did as he said and they walked back inside. Michonne and Carl were playing some card game, laughing and having a good time as though nothing was ever wrong; their home hadn't been taken and they weren't living in a world full of death. It was nice seeing joyful faces and hearing lighthearted laughs Rick, on the other hand, was sitting alone and seemed to notice their disappearance was prolonged. The 'raised-eyebrow' look he gave them said he was curious as to why, but he didn't ask any questions.

"Found a few empty rooms downstairs, and somebody can stay up here tonight. Carl and I will take the last one down the left hallway, and Michonne's already put her things in the one next to it on the right side of the hallway. The one on the left side had a pretty big couch, whichever one of you want that." Rick stated. He was always one to plan things out, automatically taking the leadership position. "I'm actually pretty tired now. Think I'm gonna get rested up for tomorrow. See you guys in the morning." He walked over to Michonne and Carl, telling them goodnight and what-not. They followed not too long after, yawning and making it clear they were tired as well. Soon it was just Beth and Daryl. She was rummaging through her bag, pulling out her notebook she regularly wrote in.

"I can take that downstairs room if ya'd rather stay up here." He spoke while looking around and rubbing his eyes, grogginess setting in.

"Daryl." Her voice was full of concern, causing him to look directly at her. "Can I stay with you? I mean, if ya don't mind. This room is real big and empty, and I really don't wanna be alone."

He pondered this for a moment, worried she'd suddenly lash out and get ridiculously handsy again. He wanted her, a lot more than she could realize, but that's not all he wanted. She deserved everything she'd given him; hope for better days, security in knowing someone was always there even in the darkest moments, and a way to soothe her fears.

"Sure. C'mon." He said as he extended a hand to help her up. She put her bag around her shoulder, held her notebook in one hand, and grabbed his hand with the other. When she was up, she didn't let go, and that was fine with him. He led the way to the vacant room. The couch was big, and after a bit of studying, they found out it was a foldout with a fairly comfortable mattress. Beth was quick to lay down and rest her eyes, throwing her things on the floor. Daryl covered her with a blanket and collapsed beside her. The day was… Weird, to say the least, but he was happy with it nonetheless. A few more minutes passed of deep thought for Daryl, before he knew it he was dozing off. Just before he fell asleep, Beth rolled over, burying her face in his chest and mumbling something alone the lines of 'goodnight'. Daryl wrapped an arm around her and drifted off into the first satisfying sleep he'd had in a while.

* * *

**A/N: So as I stated, I've got finals this week. Turns out I'd rather do everything BUT study ^_^ I know, I'm quite the procrastinator. It is what it is. Sorry if this one seemed a little slow, took an unexpected turn, and was much shorter than the rest. As much as I wanted the banging to commence, I figured I'd leave you in suspense. Sorry darlings! I appreciate reviews, follows and favorites, thanks in advance! **


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